Fire: the Avatar's Shadow
by captainax5
Summary: Takes place after season 2. The past, present, and future tie together like a messed up knot. Action esp. later and an good storyline. Should be good! Rated higher for language and just in case.
1. A rocky start

Many people might think my job was boring and stupid… and it was, as you'll soon see. As for my recent past: for two years, I had basically been hiding… who knows from what. I had wandered aimlessly through the Earth Kingdom, until I came to Ba Sing Xe. It was strange being a part of the hustle and bustle of a city, after being alone for so long.

* * *

I stood by my cabbage cart, watching the small procession go by. People around me shrunk back and bowed. How was I supposed to know what that was all about? It was unusual enough to see such a procession traveling through the lower ring of the city. Instead of bowing, I tried to see what the procession was all about. In the middle of this procession was a litter, in which a teenage girl rode. She glanced around, barked out an order, and the procession halted. A blue fireball flew at me, and I quickly ducked… my cart shattered, and cabbages flew all over the street. My boss- the cabbage man- was going to kill me for this. A sharp voice rose from the litter, "Dai Li: arrest him and take him to the palace." 

"Damn… lost my job and got arrested in two seconds." I thought to myself, as two Dai Li agents bound my arms with their rock gloves, and led me behind the procession.

* * *

An hour later, I stood in the palace, in front of a giant throne. On the throne sat the same teenage girl- but now I recognized her, I knew her- Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation. 

"Kneel," she ordered, and I was forced to my knees by the two Dai Li agents. They quickly backed away, as Azula stood up. "Your name?"

"Roku."

"Hmph… named after Avatar Roku? He was a firebender, not a peasant." She paused, staring at me as I rose to my feet, "I ordered you to kneel. Defiance is bad. You will learn obedience." She stood up with a smirk; she moved her hand slowly in a circle, the air around her crackled dangerously.

I spun around, and the lightning hit the rock that encased my arms. I turned to face Azula, but she was now sitting on her throne.

"Mai. He's all yours."

A girl in red robes jumped out of the shadows. A shower of small knives flew out of her sleeve. I slipped off my shirt and spun it in front of me. The knives flew into it and stayed stuck; I dropped the shirt. She drew a dagger and slashed at me. I ducked under it, and tried to kick her feet out from under her. With cat-like reflexes, she jumped back, out of my range.

A thought entered my head… a quote my master had used often as he had trained me. "Basics! Break your opponents root." Time seemed to slow down as a thought entered my mind, "why have I been hiding? It's a gift, not a curse…" I took a deep breath and breathed out.

A column of fire and smoke flew out of my mouth. As I stepped forward, small waves of fire sped towards Mai's feet. She stumbled backward, off balance. She fell, and I stood there with a fire around my hands. It felt good to play with fire again.

"Enough!" shouted Azula. A bolt of lightening flew at me. I redirected it, remembering what my master had taught me. A flash of pink; several quick jabs, and I fell to the ground, unconscious…

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Hope to get new chapters up every week or so, depends on how much time i get and everything. please R&R! 


	2. Traitors

Disclaimer (?) I wish i owned Avatar... etc.

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My body ached… I opened my eyes and looked around. I was lying on the floor of the palace; my arms and legs, shackled and hobbled (respectively). The coldness of the metal chains sent chills up my spine.

A footstep… I turned in time to see a metal boot unceremoniously plant itself painfully in my side. "Get up," snarled a familiar voice- Azula. I glared at her as I rose unsteadily to my feet. My arms and legs felt sluggish- I was just beginning to get feeling in them again.

Azula turned away, and returned to her throne. "You're about 17 years old. What are you doing in Ba Sing Xe? If you're a firebender, you should be in the Fire Lord's Army."

"The war is wrong! The Avatar has returned; balance will be restored!"

A thin smile grew on her face. "The Avatar has been dead for 4 days now- he died in the Avatar State. There will never be another Avatar!"

At this moment, a man with a long ponytail and green robes walked in. He bowed stiffly, "Princess, a message from the Fire Lord…" He handed her a scroll and left the room. Azula opened the scroll and read quietly.

* * *

Meanwhile, a girl in pink clothes did a back flip towards me, and began walking around me, smiling. "Ooh… you're strong."

"Um… thanks?"

"Your eyes are weird… they're black, but they kinda gleam reddish. Ooh, cool tattoo," she said as she saw my right shoulder, "Azula, you should see it. It's a dragon breathing fire."

Ty Lee was picture of a single track mind- incapable of holding onto more than one idea at a time. But she seemed a lot nicer than the others. Azula put down the scroll and sighed. "Ty Lee, why don't you go shopping or something," she said with great restraint. She glanced over the scroll again, "Father says he wants them both- Uncle is a traitor; it's only a matter of time until my brother is also," she said to Mai and Ty Lee.

* * *

A door banged open, and a young man in red robes walked in. "The ship's ready Azula. The, um… prisoner, is on board."

"Good. You'll be going back too, Zuko; you finally get to go home," said Azula. I looked at him, he seemed lost in thought. "Isn't that what you've always wanted?" Azula looked at a Dai Li agent, and he jumped forward immediately. "Take the prisoner to the ship." She looked at Zuko again, as I was being led away, "There's another traitor to take home."

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I know this chapter is short.. sorry! but i'm adding the 3rd as well, so enjoy!


	3. The Avatar's Shadow

It was night- I could tell by the tiny glass window imbedded in the ship's hull. Even this, however, was coved with metal bars- there was no way of escape from this metal cell. I looked out the window. Far off, I could see the lights of Ba Sing Xe. The ship was still tied to the dock. We'd leave in the morning, I'd overheard.

I lay down on the straw mat, and soon fell asleep to the sound of the ocean and the roll of the waves.

* * *

I opened my eyes- all I saw was the ocean… I looked around: I was standing on the water! My reflection grew into a dragon, its eyes gleaming red… I breathed out, and fire roared from my mouth. I looked around… I wasn't standing on the water anymore. In fact, I didn't even have regular legs anymore. I was a dragon, somehow standing in midair.

A flash of light; two dragons flew out of the darkness and formed a triangle with me, around the brilliant, white light. One had gold eyes; the other had a long, thin grey beard. A pair of glowing, white eyes, followed by a tall figure grew out of the light. "I am Avatar Roku." We (the dragons) bowed respectfully. "Time is running short. The world will soon fall out of balance, unless… the Avatar is ready."

At this point, he blinked, and we appeared inside a cave. A small fire was burning in the center, surrounded by five people, and several animals. One of them lay asleep, as the others watched and cared for him. Avatar Roku looked at us, and we looked up. "This is the Avatar. The connection is faint: you must help him through his spiritual journey as well. Right now, he is weak and vulnerable. The Avatar must be protected by a shadow of fire, until he is ready. To you, I give this task." A flash of white light, and we were floating in midair once again.

"You can choose to teach, protect, and serve the Avatar; it is your decision." Avatar Roku looked at each of use as he said this, finally resting on the dragon with golden eyes.

He tilted his head back, and breathed white flames into the air. "You will find these flames within you, if you choose rightly. By this, you will recognize each other." He began to fade… "Sozin's comet returns at the end of summer: choose wisely!"

* * *

A flash of white light woke me up with a start. Somewhere else in the world, two other men woke up abruptly. Each of us was thinking the same thing… "That was a weird dream…"

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Once again, sorry for the short chapter. hopefully the next ones will be longer.

i'll try to post again soon. R&R please!


	4. Tea

Thank you to psiwhisper; i was thinking of quitting, but i may not.

I apologize: chapters will be a bit longer between postings, due to the fact that i'm now doign Tae Kwon Do, along with the rest of my busy life. :-)

Hopefully this is a bit longer than the others. Oh, as for the title- i couldn't really think of anythign else, so.. ya.

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A flash of white light… a dark, metal room came into view as I opened my eyes. 

I lay back on the straw mat, looking out the window. Had I been dreaming? Or was that real?

* * *

A minute later, a door creaked open and then shut. Quiet footsteps echoed through the metal hallway. The rattle of a few keys, and another door creaked open with a groan. 

"Uncle?" called a quiet voice, "I'm sorry for waking you up. I couldn't sleep." The sound of the falling rain on the deck above was the only sound in the prison hold. "I thought I was doing the right thing: I have a destiny to fulfill. I can finally go home…" The young voice was thick with emotion.

I stood up, and tiptoed to the door. I looked through the metal bars on the door to my cell. The door to the cell across the hall was open. In the semi-darkness, I could see one man meditating on the ground, and another man standing next to him. The man on the ground had a small flame in each hand, as he meditated; these grew and shrank as he breathed slowly. "I brought you some tea, Uncle," said the other man. He was now kneeling beside the meditating man. No response… the kneeling man tapped the other on the shoulder for a moment

The flame in his hand rose sharply, and sank back down just as quickly. He sat there quietly for a moment. "Zuko… I had faith in you. How many times have I told you that you must decide your own destiny- it is not set in stone- you must make it. It would take more than tea for me to forgive you. You can never buy forgiveness."

"Uncle, I brought the tea, because I thought you might want some- I would never try to bribe you…" The man on the ground continued meditating, the flame resumed it continual rise and fall.

"Zuko, I have chosen my destiny. You must choose yours. Now I suggest you get some sleep." He rubbed his hands together, and the flames extinguished. The cell was not pitch black, except for the distant lightning which gave a moment of light into the dark hold.

The standing man nodded his head slowly, bowed, and backed out the cell.

* * *

He locked the door, and turned around. I quickly dived onto my mat. The scrape of a key, and the door to my cell opened. "Here, enjoy it," said the young man. He put the cup of tea on the ground, locked the door, and began to walk away. 

As the footsteps receded, I stood up, took the tea, and went to the bars in the door. "Zuzu, is this ginseng?"

"Ya," he answered quietly, as he started walked up the stairs. I warmed the cup in my hand (firebending), and drank a gulp. A moment later, there was a flash of fire (and realization), and the young man faced me, on the other side of the door. He unlocked the door, and threw open the door. A whip of fire ignited in his hand. "What the heck _(alternate language used, haha) _did you call me?!?!"

"Well, Azula used to call you that; and seeing as you're so chummy with her now…" I sipped my tea, "Thanks for the tea, Ginseng is my favorite."

"Oh, mine too," said the old man from across the hall. He had heard the ruckus, and was now standing and looking out of the bars in his door. He chuckled, "small world, eh?"

I smiled. Gulping down the last of the tea, I handed the cup back to Zuko. "I like your tattoo." In the light from his fire whip (still in his hand), I winked and pulled the door shut. Zuko's eyes narrowed… he locked the door and walked away.

* * *

(Cut to a fancier bedroom on the ship) A few minutes later, in his room, Prince Zuko pulled off his shirt. He strode over to the mirror. The scar stared back at him… he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He turned his left shoulder towards the mirror. A dragon breathing fire looked back at him. He lay down, and shook his head…

* * *

"Besides Ginseng, there are many other good teas. Now let's see… Jasmine is very good- a favorite with the ladies; black tea is good in the morning; hmm… what else is really good…?" He paused for a moment, memories of teas dancing through his mind. 

"So how have you been, Uncle?"

A pause of silence… I looked through the bars again, to see if the man was still there. Indeed he was still there, but he had the most peculiar expression on his face. His eyebrows shot up, soon followed by a broad smile on his face… "Roku!"

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R&R! If i get the time to write it, this will be pretty interesting, i think. Lots of ideas in my head... now to get them onto paper. 

psiwhisper, thanks for the replies. i fixed the last line. Roku is a character i've introduced; a firebender. the tattoo connection will be known over time.


	5. Family Sticks Together

Ok, i'm really sorry i haven't updated recently. My life is so busy right now. Taekwondo rocks! (in case you're wondering, haha). anyway, i'll try to get another chapter up soon, i'm on a writing spree, lol, but i have no idea when the next one will be up.

in case you haven't figured, i don't own avatar, otherwise i'd be in it.

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**Chapter 5: Family Sticks Together**

I looked through the bars, and saw Iroh across the hall doing the same. He had changed quite a lot since I'd last seen him, three years ago. A lot shaggier… a bit bruised… but on the positive side, a bit lighter than I had remembered him. "Uncle… whadthef---areyoudoinghere?" He started laughing at my unexpected outburst.

He briefly explained; finally coming to his arrest. (Author's note: Sorry, it would take way too long to explain all that. As long as you're seen book 2, last couple of episodes [i.e. Crossroads of Destiny, you know what happened.)

I listened, completely shocked. "So is the Avatar dead and is the Avatar Cycle broken? When I was at the palace, Azula said she killed him a few days ago. Is he really gone… you were there."

There was a moment of silence… I heard a deep sigh from across the hall. "No, I don't think so. Somehow, I think he has survived." He was quiet, deep in thought. "I had a dream, earlier… Avatar Roku ca-"

"-_Avatar Roku_? I had a dream earlier and he was in it…" A particularly long, bright flash of lightning lit up the prison hold for a few seconds. The tattoo on my right shoulder caught my eye… Gears seemed to click in my mind. "Did you see any… dragons?"

Iroh's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Yes- I saw Avatar Roku, and 2 dragons. One had gold eyes, and the other had red eyes. I think I was a… a dragon, as well."

"Seriously? Wow, I… think we had the same dream. I saw one with gold eyes, and the other had a long grey beard… That was yo-" I looked across the hall, and Iroh had closed his eyes. A strong wind went through the hall, kicking up a small cloud of dust. I closed my eyes as well. The wind moved past us like a shock wave, and I opened my eyes.

"Well done." Avatar Roku was standing in the middle of the hall; I could see him through the bars of my cell. "You have gained a connection to Spirit World. Use it wisely." He disappeared in a column of white fire.

I opened my eyes. Across the hall, Iroh had opened his eyes as well. He held up his hand- a white fireball lay in it… I held open my hands, and white flames grew from them. With a twinkle in his eyes and an eager smile, Iroh disappeared below the bars of his cell. I lay down on the straw mat, meditating.

* * *

A few minutes later: I looked around my cell. It seemed different. I looked down, and saw my body sitting against a wall, meditating. An invisible force seemed to pull me, and I shot through the roof above me. As I flew up in the sky, I noticed the dragon with the grey beard beside me. I blinked, and a moment later, we stood on an island in a swamp. As our feet touched the ground, we were no longer dragons. "Ah, I knew you would come." Avatar Roku rose from the water around us.

We both bowed. "Avatar Roku, it is a great honor to be able to enter the Spirit World. What have you called us here for?" asked Iroh.

"There are many things to be done and little time to do it in. The connection between Avatar Aang and the Spirit World survives by a stroke of pure luck. This connection must be restored. The Avatar must learn all the elements- he has or is mastering the elements, except fire. And you must protect the Avatar until he is ready. You have found one of your fellow shadows- you and your uncle will find a way."

In the back of my mind, I heard a door creak open, and footsteps on a metal floor. I looked at Iroh, and he nodded. We bowed to Avatar Roku, and closed our eyes. Immediately, Iroh and I swooped down on the small ship below us, in the forms of nearly-invisible dragons.

* * *

I opened my eyes and jumped to my feet. At the bars of my door, I saw Zuko walking towards our cells. He opened the door to Iroh's cell, and the door to mine. Both of us walked out. I held up a fireball so we could see around. Zuko was frowning, deep in thought.

"Uncle, you're going to be executed once we reach the Fire Nation. I found a letter from my da-, from the Fire Lord. He says that you must be sent home to face justice." Iroh's face remained impassive. "He told Azula to send me home too."

"Let me guess; Azula said that you killed the Avatar…?" said Iroh

Zuko nodded in surprise. "That could be trouble for you later on Zuko. Keep your head up and your eyes open. If there's ever trouble, come and find us… if not, we will find you."

Zuko paused for a moment. "This ship leaves tomorrow. Azula plans to come and see you one last time, Uncle; and I really doubt she's coming to say goodbye. Uncle, you need to escape when she's here, otherwise she'll think I helped you- which I did not by the way." He held up a ring of keys, "see," and he put it in his pocket. He pulled out two keys from another pocket and handed one to each of us. He smiled, and winked. "Just in case you can't think of any ideas. Good luck guys…"

"Wait!" Iroh's firm voice echoed through the cold prison hold. "Thank you, Zuko… Family sticks together." I stood to the side as the old man caught the young man in a gigantic bear hug. I closed my hand and extinguished the fireball in my hand, as a tear began to slide down Zuko's scar, towards the cold metal floor.

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How's that for an ending:0) ok, so i'm not the greatest writer in the world. review are welcome!

More action in chapters soon to come.


	6. Remembering the Past

Hey! sorry it's taken forever to get this update here. it's been almost 4 months now... wow.. sorry. Well, here's a good long chapter to make up for it. It should answer some of the questions that you might think of.

Enjoy!

Ya ya.. i dont' own it. whatever..

**Chapter 6: Remembering the past**

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Once again, we were back in our cells. Iroh's rumbling snoring was matched by the slow lapping of the waves against the ship. I was sitting against the wall of my cell, thinking. For the first time in years, I felt like my family was back together- or what I had of a family. 

Iroh was my uncle. My mother had been the sister of Iroh and Ozai, younger than either of them, however. She had been best friends with Lady Ursa as well. She had died when I was very young, so I knew and remembered little about her.

My father was a descendant of Avatar Roku; Lady Ursa's brother. After my mother's death, he had raised me. He had been a Commander in the Firelord's Army, but had died during the siege of Ba Sing Xe. Upon news of his death, Lady Ursa took care of me. When General Iroh returned after the loss of his own son, Lu Ten, he took me in.

I learned and practiced with Iroh and Zuko. I was there during the Agni Kai between Zuko and his father; watching with horror as my best friend was dishonored and scarred by his own father. I accompanied Zuko and Iroh on his quest to capture the Avatar. In training, Zuko and I were fairly equal. We both sought the optimum balance of power and skill. On my fifteenth birthday, we stopped at an Earth Nation port to resupply. That night, Zuko and I had snuck out and got tattoos- dragons breathing fire. Mine was on my right arm, his was on his left. General Iroh never knew about it until later. Soon after this, I decided to explore the Earth Nation. I had mastered firebending, and wanted to learn about the other nations. For a year, I had wandered, finally meeting a cabbage-salesman traveling from Omashu to Ba Sing Xe. I took a job with him, thinking it to be a perfect way to see the great city. I had hidden away my firebending, and had just started to feel a sense of normality in the great city, when Princess Azula had seized power. My life seemed to have gone in a full circle since then. I was back with Iroh and Zuko, however under different circumstances. Soon, I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up with the sun shining in my face. I opened my eyes and blinked; blinded by the sun. The humming of the ships motors echoed through the metal floor. I looked out the window and saw nothing but water… we were on our way to the Fire Nation. 

"Uncle?" I looked through the bars, and saw Iroh waking up. "We're out to sea, already."

"Are you going to use your key, Roku?" he asked, showing me his key.

I shook my head. "They'll know it's Zuko, if we use them. Are you going to use yours?"

He shook his head. "Give me the key then," I said; thinking of an idea of how to get rid of them.

The door to the prison hold opened, and a masked guard walked in holding two bowls of rice and some tea. He opened each of our doors, walked inside and put the food on the ground. As he closed the doors, I placed the keys on the ground sticking slight out from under the door.

"Hey… I've got a deal for you," I called to the guard, as he began to walk away. He stopped and turned around. "You get me and the General an extra bowl of rice later, and I won't tell your boss about you losing some keys."

"What?!" he exclaimed, and reached for his key bunch.

I kicked the keys all the way under the door. I heard a gasp of surprise as he saw the keys and picked them up. He looked at me, "I'll see what I can do."

General Iroh caught my eye as the guard left, and winked.

* * *

The guard left, but the door to the prison hold stayed open. Shadows fell across the opening, and footsteps resounded off the metal stairs. 

"Well, well, well… enjoying your tea, Uncle?" The voice was more of a sneer than anything; it matched the smirk on Azula's face. She turned towards me. "And you… you might get lucky when we reach the Fire Nation, and I'll decide to send you to the mines instead of to your death. Or you might be ok as a practice target for me and my friends… we'll see."

"Uncle Iroh… Father will be so proud to see you behind bars. The great 'Dragon of the West' is a traitor. You're a disgrace to the Fire Nation." She spat in his face.

I was standing, looking through the bars of my cell, as this happened. "You damn bitch; how dare you insult the General," I growled at her.

She turned to me, murder in her eyes. She signaled to the guard to open the door, and she threw open the door. "I see you still need to learn respect…"

I knew it was coming, but I decided to ride it out, rather than struggle; after all- what could I do against one of the most dangerous firebenders in the world (Azula) and a shipload of firebenders and soldiers? She lashed out with a punch, and caught me painfully in the mouth. I could feel a trickle of blood flowing out of my mouth. She smiled, "the next time you dare to cross me, I'll kill you."

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So... tell me what you think.

I'll try to put up new chapters once or twice a month, if i can. I'm so busy right now.

reviews welcome!


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